Maryland Family Law Maryland family law opinions and commentary

Divorce — Separation period — Protective order On December 1, 2016, the Circuit Court for Washington County granted Sithokozile Alleman’s, appellee, request for a limited divorce from Robert Alleman, appellant, on the basis of separation, pursuant to Maryland Code (1984, ...

Divorce — Marital property — Real property Carl D. Mayo, appellant, and Gonzetta Mayo, appellee, were married in 1985 and then separated in 2000. In 2015 and 2016, they filed cross-complaints for absolute divorce, in the Circuit Court for Prince ...

Divorce — Marital property — Assignment of pension benefits Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the beneficiary of a pension plan generally cannot assign his or her pension rights to a third party. See, e.g., Rohrbeck v. ...

Divorce — Marital property — Funds in Spouse’s American Express account On August 14, 2015, Edward Ragland, Jr., appellee (“Husband”), filed a Complaint in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County seeking an Absolute Divorce from Cheryl Ziegler Ragland, appellant ...

Divorce — Alimony — Contempt for non-payment  In 2006, William Bennison, appellant, was ordered by the Circuit Court for Frederick County to pay Debbie Bennison, appellee, indefinite alimony in the amount of $1,200 per month. Appellant stopped making payments in ...

Divorce — Marital property — Home sale This consolidated appeal arises from the divorce of appellant Choo Washburn (“Choo”) and appellee Larry Washburn (“Larry”), and encompasses three pro se appeals filed by Choo (Appeal Nos. 50, 992, and 1505, Sept. ...

Divorce — Post-judgment motions — Attorneys’ fees Tom Thomasian (“Tom”), the Appellant, appealed to this Court challenging three post-judgment decisions the Circuit Court for Montgomery County entered in favor of his ex-wife Silva Thomasian (“Silva”) following his petition to modify ...

Alimony — Rehabilitative alimony — Calculation This appeal is from a judgment of absolute divorce entered by the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County and from that court’s denial of appellant’s motion to alter or amend the judgment. Appellant makes ...

Divorce — Marital property — Pre-marriage purchase The Circuit Court for Prince George’s County granted an absolute divorce to Mohammad Bhuiyan, the appellant, and Farhanna Bhuiyan, the appellee. The court also awarded Farhanna, inter alia, use and possession of the ...

Divorce — Prenuptial agreement — Validity Appellant, Marek Michniewicz (henceforth, “Mr. M,” to save a little length in this opinion), challenges the invalidation by the Circuit Court for Baltimore County of a prenuptial agreement (the Agreement) executed between he and ...